A CAIRNS-based physiotherapist has been named as the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service’s top allied health professional of the year.
Cairns Hospital musculoskeletal physiotherapist Taishi Ezaki has received the top honour in the Health Service’s 2022 Allied Health Excellence Awards.
He joined seven other category winners for the awards, proudly supported by the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation.
In receiving his award, Mr Ezaki was described as a “compassionate and humble person who always takes time out to help and teach others”.
He was recognised for his work as a clinical tutor in the state-wide Neurosurgical and Orthopaedic Physiotherapy Screening Clinic Extension Program and his achievement in being accepted as a Fellow with the Australian College of Physiotherapists in June as a Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist.
“To win this award for clinical excellence is very exciting and I am very grateful,” Mr Ezaki said. “I hope I can keep maintaining a high level of clinical work for our service in the Cairns Hospital and inspire others to strive for excellence.” Allied Health is described by some as the backbone of the Health Service and excellence in patient care is the focus of the awards, now in their 11th year and held in recognition of former Allied Health executive director Patsy Bjerregaard, who attended the event at Cairns Hospital on Thursday, September 1. CHHHS Allied Health executive director Tania Cavanagh said Mr Ezaki’s recent Fellowship with the Australian College of Physiotherapists was recognition at the highest level of clinical expertise.
“It is an incredible accolade and reflection of a rigorous training and examination process, which Taishi has completed here in Cairns,” she said.
“I have been part of these awards for the past 11 years and have witnessed first-hand the exceptional achievements of so many nominees and winners, that are setting the bar higher and higher,” she said. “This leaves me in awe of what allied health will achieve into the future, and that journey begins by recognising this year’s nominees and winners.”
The 2022 Allied Health Award winners are:
• Education, Training and/or Supervision: Thomas Ragh, pharmacist
• Rural and remote practice: Sarah Tinney, pharmacist
• Early Career Practitioner: Edward McGlynn, podiatrist
• Innovation: Rebekah Allen, psychologist
• Research category: Stephanie De Zilva, dietitian
• Leadership: Rachel Mulqueeny, occupational therapist
• CHHHS Values Award: Kerrie-Anne Saunder, allied health assistant
• Overall Excellence in Clinical Care: Taishi Ezaki, physiotherapist
Thanks to event sponsors Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation and QSuper.
